New Member

Hi, I'm a new member. I just found this community. I have been sick for a year with migraines with severe vertigo, visual snow, aura symptoms, facial and head numbness, which are pretty much daily. I have had depression, anxiety and ADHD all my life in addition to GERD, hypothyroid, and chronic pain from a degenerative disk and arthritis in my lower spine and arthritis in my hands and feet. I have been out of work for a year now and had to file for SSDI, for which I am waiting on the medical determination. I am having a really difficult time dealing with having a chronic illness and the isolation that accompanies it. I am unable to do pretty much everything I used to be able to do. I have lost most of my friends, my 4+ year relationship ended due to my illness and I am dealing with really severe depression, probably the worst I've ever had in my life. It's exacerbating my pain and migraines and my migraines and pain are exacerbating my depression. It's a terrible vicious cycle. I've been trying to find as much support as possible to try to pull myself through this.

Wow, you are certainly battling numerous issues. Are you taking any medications for your various conditions? Hypothyroid can definitely cause depression, especially when combined with your other health problems, which can also contribute to depression.

Has a cause for your migraines and vertigo been determined?

People, who abandon you in your time of need, don't deserve to be called friends. A true friend stands by your side during the roughest patches in your journey.

Might you benefit from counseling or group therapy? Perhaps you could ask your physician for referrals to support groups in your area, where you can meet with others, who are rowing the same boat as you are. You could go once, and if it doesn't appeal to you, you could stop going. It helps to know that you are not alone, that you are not the only person on the planet enduring what you are.

Of course, that's what we do here at BrainTalk, but we can only provide so much companionship on line. If you can find real-life support groups, you will have an opportunity to meet folks, who could become your real-life friends. With BrainTalk and a real-life support group, you'd have a lot of support.

I'm sending up a healing prayer for you, Jen. Stay with us here at BT, and we'll support you and care for you.

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 49, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful Dad.

Hi, I'm a new member. I just found this community. I have been sick for a year with migraines with severe vertigo, visual snow, aura symptoms, facial and head numbness, which are pretty much daily. I have had depression, anxiety and ADHD all my life in addition to GERD, hypothyroid, and chronic pain from a degenerative disk and arthritis in my lower spine and arthritis in my hands and feet. I have been out of work for a year now and had to file for SSDI, for which I am waiting on the medical determination. I am having a really difficult time dealing with having a chronic illness and the isolation that accompanies it. I am unable to do pretty much everything I used to be able to do. I have lost most of my friends, my 4+ year relationship ended due to my illness and I am dealing with really severe depression, probably the worst I've ever had in my life. It's exacerbating my pain and migraines and my migraines and pain are exacerbating my depression. It's a terrible vicious cycle. I've been trying to find as much support as possible to try to pull myself through this.

Hi jensbrokenbrain, and WELCOME!

BrainTalk has been around for a long time, and I hope that you will find supportive people here.

I'm usually on the MS board but happened to see your post and thought I'd drop in to say Hi.

It sounds as if you've had a lot of pain and depression. Severe vertigo is a miserable experience. Losing friends is surely an added pain for you.

As Rose said, "friends" who ditch you when you're having a bad time aren't really friends, and I'm betting that new friends will materialize for you soon and turn out to be not just fair-weather friends.

I've battled depression too, and it can be a very tough battle. I hope that you have some good support in the form of a competent counselor or therapist.

I hope you're going to have better days ahead. It's easy to think you "should" snap out of it but not at all easy to do.

You might want to try the Headache and Migraine forum here and maybe the Chronic Pain forum as well.

Nobody here is a medical professional but quite a few people are speaking from lots of experience.

Hi Jensbrokenbrain, I just heard that we had a new member and wanted to stop by and say hello and welcome. I am on the MS board, but just wanted you to know that you can find good support here.

When I was first diagnosed with MS (many years ago) I went to a live support group, but I also came here at the same time. I found that both helped a lot. Then when the live support group broke up, I still had this support group. I am more disabled now, so I no longer would want to go out for support and this has been great.

You do have a lot going on that is not good and I am sorry to hear it. However, if you get some answers about your medical problems, you might find that you feel somewhat better about things. I do hope that you have access to a really good Primary Care Doctor and if needed a good Neurologist. It is just my belief that the more informed we are the more we are able to help determine what we should do.

I am sure that right now you are concerned about SSDI. I hope that it comes through without a lot of delay and that can be taken out of the equation.

The material on this site is for information & support purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice provided by a licensed health care provider.
Always consult your doctor before trying anything that you find online.